Some of us share a fondness for old things, particularly for vintage patterns. For me, they can be sewing or knitting patterns, even books. They fascinate me, not just because of the design of the garments but because of the way they reflect social history in general and the perceived role of women in specific.…

As all of you know, Australia has been enduring some terrible fires. There’s a great deal of devastation, a lot of lost lives and destroyed homes. It’s incredibly sad to think that some of these fires may have been started by arsonists. Australians are some of the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever known…

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about rhythms in our lives, cycles that repeat and intersect and sometimes even collide. There’s the rhythm of the year, the cycle of the seasons and of various seasonal celebrations. There’s the rhythm of the family, the cycle of birthdays and weddings anniversaries to be celebrated and commemorated. There’s…